In a significant milestone for Nigerian amputee football, several talented players have secured professional contracts with top Turkish clubs, marking a new era of growth and opportunity for the sport.
Read Also: NSC Prioritizes Sports Infrastructure For 2025, Seeks Professional Collaboration
Three new Nigerian players have successfully moved to Turkey to continue their careers:
- Abba Musa (Gebze Gucu Engelliler Spor Kulübü)
- Olaogun Bolaji David (Gebze Gucu Engelliler Spor Kulübü)
- Friday Habu (Sakarya Bedensel Engelliler Spor Kulübü)
They join a group of Nigerian players already making a name for themselves in Turkey, including:
- Nwachukwu Izuchukwu (Gebze Gucu Engelliler Spor Kulübü)
- Issah Yusuf (Gebze Gucu Engelliler Spor Kulübü)
- Umaru Grema Muhammed (Depsaş Enerji Spor Kulübü)
Outside Turkey, other Nigerian amputee footballers continue to excel abroad, such as Bamgbopa Abayomi Alabi at WKS Śląsk Wrocław in Poland and Michael Ishiguzo at Chelsea Amputee FC in England.
This achievement is a testament to the relentless efforts of Ambassador Paul Maduakor, President of the Nigeria Amputee Football Federation, who has been at the forefront of developing the sport and creating opportunities for Nigerian players on the international stage.
Pushing for Greater Opportunities
The Technical Director, Coach Victor Nnewne, emphasized that more players will be encouraged to move abroad to gain professional experience. He stressed that these moves not only empower the players financially but also contribute to the overall growth of the national team.
“This initiative strengthens our national team, as seen in the last Nations Cup, where the few professionals in the squad played a vital role in our 4th-place finish, which qualified us for next year’s World Cup,” Nnewne stated.
In addition, the federation is working towards establishing a National Amputee Football League in Nigeria. This league will keep home-based players active and ensure a steady pipeline of talent for the national team, the Special Eagles.
Captain Oyeleke Welcomes Growth of Amputee Football in Turkey
Nigeria’s national team captain, Sarafadeen Olalekan Oyeleke, expressed his delight at the increasing number of Nigerian amputee footballers in Turkey. Oyeleke, who made history as the first Nigerian to play in Turkey when he joined Istanbul Özürlüler Spor Kulübü in 2015, also played a key role in helping Bursa Amputee Football gain promotion to the Turkish Amputee Super League in 2018.
“This was our dream—to open doors for more Nigerian players in professional amputee football. Seeing this happen now proves that our efforts, alongside the vision of Ambassador Paul Maduakor, are paying off,” Oyeleke remarked.
With more Nigerian amputee footballers securing professional contracts abroad, the future of the sport in Nigeria looks promising. The federation’s continued push for development ensures that more players will have opportunities to shine on the world stage while strengthening the national team for future competitions.
